Plant physiology and climate change with Dr. Paul Gauthier

Plant physiologist Dr. Paul Gauthier is interviewed by WPRB's Brian Kraus on "These Vibes are too Cosmic" (TVR2C), a science and music radio show. WPRB Princeton community-run radio station features this program on Tuesday evenings between 5-7 p.m. (EST) at radio dial FM 103.3. The show is hosted by Stevie Bergman and Brian Kraus.

Dr. Gauthier is asked what does a plant physiologist do and what is the motivation behind his research? He describes that he is an expert in plant behavior, including their respiration and photosynthesis. Gauthier further explains the connections between environmental stresses and carbon balance as it relates to plant behavior and climate change. His research specifically calculates how much carbon do plants store (via photosynthesis) and how much do they exhale (via respiration) in various types of conditions. His main concern is how changes in our global climate will affect human food supply and what will our environmental landscapes look like in immediate years. To learn more, listen to the sans-music version of his interview linked to this article.

Dr. Paul Gauthier is an Associate Research Scholar and Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Geosciences here at Princeton University. He works with Prof. Michael Bender from the Department of Geosciences and Prof. Stephen Pacala from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Photo: WPRB's Brian Kraus (left) and Dr. Paul Gauthier (right) during the interview at the WPRB Radio Station in Princeton.